Life’s a Beach
A Store with Shoreline Style
Monday, July 30, 2007
Beach Dwelling is a site to delight lovers of breezy beach style. With furniture, bedding, lighting and accessories, this is the place to find all the elements of summery casual living.
You can pick up a chandelier in the colors of beach glass, a white-painted armoire, slip-covered sofas, lacy wrought iron beds and, of course, lots of beach-inspired accessories (check out the sea urchin candleholders). The store also carries a full range of Rachel Ashwell Shabby chic furniture, currently available with free shipping.
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California Mediterranean
Wednesday, July 25, 2007
Although its roots are elsewhere, California Mediterranean architecture is one of our few modern indigenous forms. This book, by Melva Levick and Marc Appleton, celebrates the best examples built during its heyday in the early part of the 20th Century. Architects like Addison Mizner, Wallace Neff and Julia Morgan (of Hearst Castle fame) contributed to some of the grandest and most pure expressions of the form.
California Mediterranean architecture flourished primarily along the coastal strip from Santa Barbara to San Diego, and this book includes several examples in Santa Barbara. It’s not only a celebration of an exuberant tradition, it’s a primer on the details that make up the form.
This is one coffee table book that won’t lie on the coffee table for long!
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Standing Room Only
Gel Takes the Ache out of Cooking
Monday, July 23, 2007
You’ve finally got the kitchen floor you’ve been dreaming of—terracotta tile, smooth hardwood, stone. It looks gorgeous. But it’s literally hard to stand on for any length of time.
Gel Pro Chef mats can take the ache out of cooking on hard flooring. Filled with soft gel that absorbs shock and reduces pressure, the mats are stain resistant and easy to clean. According to the manufacturer, the gel will not leak if punctured and remains soft and resilient unlike foam kitchen floor mats.
The gel is covered with a woven synthetic leather available in several colors, including truffle, chestnut and khaki. Non-slip bottoms keeps the mats in place and an anti-microbial additive helps eliminate mold and mildew. Available online in two sizes, 20x36 and 20x72, from Let’s Gel, Inc.
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“Clean Your Room!”
Stackable Drawers Make it Easier
Friday, July 20, 2007
For kids who tend to collect “stuff,” these mini stackables might the answer to the ongoing storage question.
Designed to be customizable, all cabinets and drawers are modular so you can add on over time as your storage needs grow. Although designed for offices and craft rooms, they’re perfect for kids’ rooms.
Modules are available in maple wood with white drawers or walnut with black drawers, and the mini unit has casters. Drawers are offered in several depths. From bestcraftorganizer.com.
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Perfect Neutrals
Color You Can Live With
Wednesday, July 18, 2007
Stone, grey, cream, taupe. Been there, done that. The new neutrals is a soft palette of greens, pinks, blues and other earth- and watercolors.
Stephanie Hoppen shows us how to bring color into our homes without losing the calm and soothing qualities of a neutral scheme. Author of several books on decorating with color, she brings her clear eye and dead-on sense of style to the art of building on a unified palette: how to layer colors, introduce textiles and mix patterns.
Under chapter headings like “Celadon to Pistachio,” “Lilac to Heather” and “Topaz to Terracotta,” Hoppen take us through the steps of tone, texture and pattern that create a pleasing whole. She helpfully names names, pointing readers toward designers, paint manufacturers, textile makers and others who meet her criteria. Gorgeous photography illustrates just how lush and warm a neutral room can be.
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Off the Wall
Panels Help Keep Mold at Bay
Monday, July 16, 2007
Molds like to munch on paper. So one way to prevent mold is to remove that tasty snack from your walls.
DensArmor Plus paperless interior drywall is a mold-resistant interior gypsum panel featuring a glass-mat surface on both the front and back for interior protection from moisture.
For areas of high humidity, DensArmor Plus provides the added benefit of a moisture-resistant core. According to the manufacturer, the wallboard panels scored the highest level of performance for mold resistance under a standard test method, indicating no mold growth in a 4-week controlled laboratory test.
The paperless drywall panels cut and fasten like traditional gypsum drywall and carry a three-month in-place exposure warranty. They have received GreenGuard Indoor Air Quality Certifications, which recognize indoor products that have low emissions of volatile organic compounds (VOCs).
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